This invention relates generally to the field of electro-optical systems and more specifically to a method and system for detecting radiation.
Detecting radiation and discriminating between different radiation wavelengths have many commercial, industrial, and military applications. For example, an infantryman may need to detect laser radiation in order to determine if someone is directing a laser towards him. Moreover, the infantryman may need to discriminate between different laser wavelengths in order to determine whether the person directing the laser towards him is a friend or foe. Such applications require inexpensive, lightweight, and compact systems. Known approaches to detecting radiation, however, have not been able to produce such systems.
Known methods for detecting radiation include diffraction methods and etalon-based methods. Diffraction methods use a diffraction grating to separate input radiation by wavelength. A spectrometer is used to determine the wavelength composition of the input radiation. Etalon-based methods use a light resonator to produce resonance in the input radiation in order to determine the composition of wavelengths in the radiation. The problems with these known methods of detecting radiation are that systems using these methods are expensive and bulky, and thus not suited for many commercial, industrial, and military applications.
While these methods and systems have provided significant improvements over prior approaches, the challenges in the field of electro-optical systems have continued to increase with demands for more and better techniques allowing for compact and inexpensive systems. Therefore, a need has arisen for a new method and system for detecting radiation.
In accordance with the present invention, a method and system for detecting radiation are provided that substantially eliminate or reduce disadvantages and problems associated with previously developed systems and methods.
A system for detecting radiation is disclosed. The system comprises two or more sensors having different responsivity curves and operable to sense input radiation and to generate two or more sets of sensor data that yield a unique wavelength for the radiation. A processing module is operable to receive the sets of sensor data and to determine the wavelength from the sets of sensor data.
A four-step method for detecting radiation is also disclosed. Step one calls for selecting sensors having different responsivity curves operable to detect input radiation and generate two or more sets of sensor data that yield a unique wavelength for the radiation. Step two provides for sensing input radiation using sensors to generate sets of sensor data. Step three provides for computing a wavelength from the sets of sensor data using a processing module. The last step calls for displaying the wavelength using a display.
A technical advantage of the present invention is that it determines the radiation wavelength directly from the sensor data, which allows for quick computation of the wavelength and requires very little computing power. Another technical advantage of the present invention is that it comprises relatively few simple components to determine the radiation wavelength, resulting in an inexpensive, lightweight, and compact system.